The start of the second semester tends to be rough after having almost up to a month off from classes. Time spent off from school binge watching new shows on Netflix, sleeping lon into the afternoon and making spontaneous plans with friends are hard habits to let go. It reminds you how much you miss summer and how you can’t wait to be basking under the beams of the glorious sun. As a result once classes are in session again the motivation to do anything remotely related to school most likely makes you cringe. I myself am struggling to keep focused as the semester has begun, but I’ve come up with a few helpful ways in which to keep myself afloat.
Change Your Outlook: If you constantly think about how much you’re dreading going to your early class or writing that paper you won’t have any motivation to get you through it. It’s about changing your perspective. If you have a better attitude you’re more likely to get the work done than if you mope around about having to do it. It’s a subconscious mental block towards anything school related and you have to tell yourself that you can do it. You will write your papers, you will show up to class and you will be prepared because you are smart and you are capable. Think how much better you would feel if you trained your thoughts to lean towards the positive more often than the negative.
Relax. Sometimes part of the problem when it comes to lack of motivation is our ability to procrastinate. This must be avoided at all costs, you will regret it later. The best thing to do when you feel yourself drifting while doing schoolwork is to take a 10 to 15 minute break: take a walk and get some fresh air, take a bath to clear your mind, make yourself a snack. Sometimes all we need is a fresh start to get our focus back. Make sure you’re well hydrated, comfortable and in the best environment to get things done. A clean slate is the way to guarantee you won’t burn yourself out.
Look Forward to Improvement. For me, personally, the best motivator is the past semester. We always want to do better than we have before, so use that to keep you focused! If you want to come out of the semester proud of the hard work you turned into stellar grades then push yourself. The only person who can get the work done is you and it’s always a good feeling knowing you improved from the previous semester. You should always think about upping your game: challenge yourself, set goals and reward yourself when you see positive results.